This is a very easy and affordable strawberry almond salad recipe that is a crowd pleaser! We have been making this salad for years! The sweetness of the strawberries and mandarin oranges, the crunchiness of the caramelized almonds, and the tanginess of the dressing, make a delicious combination! All that on top of crisp greens makes for a wonderful presentation for your family and guests!
The caramelized almonds
The caramelized almonds take about 10-12 minutes to make. Place both the sugar and the slivered almonds in a skillet on medium-high heat. After about three minutes you will see the sugar start to melt. When the sugar starts to melt (it will turn an amber colored liquid) start stirring the mixture until all of the almonds are coated with melted sugar. Next, carefully spread the mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet to cool. Be careful! The sugar gets very hot and can burn you. When cooled, break up the caramelized almonds to form small “croutons” for the salad.
Variations on the nuts
The recipe calls for slivered almonds but you can make it your own! You can change the nuts to pistachios, cashews, or anything you like! Changing up the nuts will add a new dimension of flavor to the recipe!
The vinaigrette
Pour the vinaigrette ingredients into a cruet, mason jar, or bowl. Whisk or shake them until well combined. The vinegarette really brings the strawberry almond salad together! The tanginess of the dressing contrasts the sweetness of the slivered almonds and the fruit. The original dressing recipe calls for sugar but we replaced it with pure maple syrup and you can’t tell the difference.
The strawberry almond salad recipe comes together in no time. It is a wonderfully refreshing salad for a summer day! My family loves this salad and I hope yours does too!
The strawberry almond salad goes well with the amen burger enchiladas. A great contrast of savory and sweet!
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Ingredients
Salad:
- 5 ounces of mixed greens
- 1 – 15 ounce can of mandarin oranges drained
- 1-2 pints of strawberries cleaned and sliced
Sugared almonds:
- 2/3 cup slivered almonds
- 1/3 cup sugar
Vinaigrette:
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup sugar or pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon each or sea salt and crushed black pepper
Instructions
- Add sugar and slivered almonds to a non stick pan and cook over medium high heat stirring often. It will take about 10-12 minutes for the sugar to melt and caramelize. After the sugar is melted and the almonds start to brown, pour almond mixture onto a piece of parchment paper and spread to a thin layer. After cooled, break apart small pieces to top the salad.
- For the dressing add all ingredients to a jar or a cruet and mix thoroughly. You can also whisk the mixture in a bowl.
- Toss together greens, strawberries, oranges, almonds, and dressing.
